Woodstock School Board President Criticizes TIF as “Tax Reallocation”

Prior to the December 18th Joint Review Board hearing for the huge new Tax Increment Financing District proposed by the Woodstock City Council, School District 200 Board President Carl Gilmore wrote the following call for opposition, which was published in … Continue reading

Why Woodstock Residents Should Oppose New TIF District

Susan Handelsman again urges Woodstock residents to contact members of their City Council asking them to reject the new Tax Increment Financing District: 2018 Woodstock TIF 2 Final City Council Action Coming Up Woodstock TIFs are tax hikes. Woodstock property tax rate … Continue reading

Why TIF Districts Raise Your Taxes

From School District 200 resident Susan Handelsman: WHERE DOES TIF MONEY COME FROM? Mayor Brian Sager of Woodstock and a large team of highly compensated Financial Development department government employees assert that the money comes from TIF ‘Development’, NOT taxpayers … Continue reading

Can the Woodstock TIF Be Stopped?

More thoughts from Seneca Township resident Susan Handelsman: WOODSTOCK TIF 2: CAN IT BE STOPPED? Lawsuit. Woodstock CUSD 200 has standing to file litigation to stop this TIF. The TIF study procured by Woodstock has enough similarities to the 2016 … Continue reading

Fighting the Woodstock Tax Increment Financing District

From Seneca Township’s Susan Handelsman: WOODSTOCK TIF 2: TAXPAYERS SELF-DEFENSE OPTIONS Detach southern/western portion of taxable properties from Woodstock CUSD 200.  A second school district could be created from the old high school and new Dean Street school complex. New … Continue reading

Woodstock Wants to Continue Getting TIF Money to Finance Redevelopment

Minutes from the Woodstock City Council reveal that efforts are in motion to continue the flow of money being used to rnow enovate the Old Courthouse (where I served as McHenry County Treasurer from 1966-1970). The mechanism will continue to … Continue reading

Woodstock City Councilman Mike Turner Supports Tina Hill for Recorder

I read in the February 23, 2016, Northwest Herald a letter to the editor in which Woodstock City Councilman Mike Turner endorses McHenry County Board member Tina Hill for Recorder of Deeds. He praises Hill for being “a small government … Continue reading

Operating Engineers Charge County Board with Open Meetings Act Violation

Here’s the guts of the case: On or about April 7, 2015, a meeting to discuss the Governor’s resolution at the Woodstock Opera House was scheduled for April 8, 2015. Governor Rauner, members of the Woodstock City Council, members of the McHenry … Continue reading

Woodstock City Council Meeting on Rauner “Turnaround Agenda” Draws Union Members

Election night the Woodstock City Council had Governor Bruce Rauner’s “Turn Around” proposals. Here’s what the agenda said: (I could not find a board packet which would have contained the resolution.) There were so many people in the audience that … Continue reading

Mark Indyke Comments on Woodstock City Council’s Action on Merryman Gravel Agreement

A former candidate for Mayor of Woodstock and City Council candidate this year offers comments on the City Council’s action on amending the agreement with Merryman Aggregate: The City Council at the February 1st meeting voted four to two (Councilmen … Continue reading

Woodstock Baseball Stadium/Gravel Pit Blowback

I continue to be amazed at how McHenry County Blog is used by people as a research tool. Sometimes comments are left on articles that were written a long time ago. Here’s a commentary from someone who lives on McConnell … Continue reading